Electric switch



INVENTOR m @WM EASL@ W. BROAD ELECTRIC swITCH Filed Mal". 26, 1921 4"" i BY f Awfamvsz Patented pr. l0, 1923.

. WILLIAM BROAD, OF BEAVER FALLS, PENNSYLVANIA.'

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Application led March 26, 1921.

To all ywhom z't may concern:

Bc it known that l, VILLIAM BROAD, a citizen ol the United States, and a resident ot' Beaver Falls, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful improvement in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specitication.

The invention relates to electric switches, and the object thereof is to provide a switch of simple and inexpensive construction, par- .'ticularly suitable for controlling circuits carrying small currents.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, ot' which Figs. 1 and 2 are plan views of two forms oi' switches embodying` the invention; Figs. and 4 side views of the switches shown, respectively, in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 5 a combined section and elevation ot' electric massage vibrator illustrating a use of the switch; and Fig. 6 a sectional view to enlarged scale taken on the line Vil-Vl, Fig. 5.

ln the practice of the invention a base plate of insulation is provided with a pair of terminals insulated from each other by the plate. The terminals are normally. urged toward contact with each other to close the switch, and a finger of insulating material is mounted on the plate in such manner that it may be moved to and from a position in which it separates the normally contacting terminals.

In the embodiment of the invention illustra-ted in Figs. 1 and 8, the insulation base comprises a plate 1 of fiber board. To such board there are attached thin conducting plates 2 and 3 forming switch terminals. The terminal plate 3 is provided with a resilient arm 13 normally urged toward contact with the plate 2 to close the switch. To open the switch a nger 4, which may also be formed of a strip of liber board, is pivoted at 5 to the base plate 1. When linger 4 is in the position indicated in dotted lines it lies between the end of arm 13 and terminal plate 2, separating such arm from the plate so that the switch is open. When finger 4 is in its full line position, arm 13 is, by reason of its resiliency, in contact with plate 2 to close the switch.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4 dilers from that just described in that linger 4a is provided with a lug 6 arranged over the top of resilient arm 13, When linger 4a is in circuit open- Serial No. 455,722.

ing positionindicated in dotted lines, lug 6 rests upon the face of arm 131 at a positiony far enough from the end of such arm that iinger 4a may readily separate the end of the arm from plate 2a. l/Vhen the finger is in its full line position, lug 6 bears upon the end of arm 13a and positively holds it 1n contact with plate 2a, thus rendering the closing of the switch independent of' the resiliency of arm 13a.

.In both forms of the switches, the terminals may be provided with small bendable strips 7 to which the ends of circuit conductors may be soldered or otherwise electrically connected.

While the switch may be used in various places where it is desirable to control a circuit carrying a small current, it finds particular applicability to massage vibrators such as illustrated in my Patent No. 1,197,- 838. Figs. 5 and 6 show a massage vibrator of this type provided with a switch of the form illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4. The vibrator comprises a casing '8 in which there is mounted an electro-magnet 9 adapted to be energized by an alternating current. A spring 15, fixed at one end, is arranged within the casing adjacent to the end of the electro-magnet, and has attached to it an armature 10 adapted to be intermittently drawn toward the electro-magnet as it is intermittently energized. The free end of the spring is provided with an applicator 11 of any desired form.

'In massage vibrators of this type, the armatures are wound with fine wire which carries small currents. That the circuit through the magnet may be opened and closed conveniently, a switch of the form shown in Figs. 2 and 4 is mounted within casing 8 in such position that linger 4a projects through a slot 12 formed in the side of the casing. The ends of the slot form abutments defining the limits of the movements of finger 4a in its alternate circuit opening and closing positions. In use, the operator may readily move finger 4a to one position or the other, depending upon whether it is desired to initiate or stop the operation of the vibrator.'

The switch is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and current is not caused to flow through rivets, hinges, or like connections, which are likely to loosen when subjected to vibration. In its operation, the circuit controlling finger wipes the contacting surfaces `of the terminals and,therefore, keeps them free from foreign matter such as dust or corrosion.

According to the provisionslofthe ypatent statutes, I have desifribed the principle and operation of my invention, together with the construction which I now consider to represent the best en'ihodiment thereof. However, I desire to have it understood Qhat,:witl1in the scope of the appended Gleim, `the invention may be practiced hy other `storms of construction than that speoifieally shown and described herein.

""Iiejlaaini eleotriosvvi'toh, comprising a base plate of insulation, a pair off A'terminals mounted contact with the other terminal to close the switch, and ,a :linger of insulating material pivoted to said base plate and movable to a.

positionbetween said terminals to open the switch, said inger being provided With a lug movable 'over :the fase ot' said arm to positively;y hold the arm in circuit closing position when said linger is moved from its position between said terminals. A

YIn testimony whereof, I `have `hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM BROAD. lWitness:

EDWIN O. JOHNS. 

